Gene Yang’s latest YA graphic novel, Boxers & Saints, has just been announced as one of the finalists for the National Book Awards in the “Young People’s Literature” category! Yang’s previous book, American Born Chinese, was the first graphic novel to be a finalist for an NBA in that category. In his latest work, an innovative two-volume novel, Yang tackles thorny issues of Chinese history, vengeance, and faith through the interlocking stories of two young people, one an iealistic revolutionary and the other a devout Christian pacifist. You can read an excerpt of the book here!
First established in 1936, the National Book Awards began recognizing Children’s Literature in 1969, a category that was then transformed into an award for “Young People’s Literature” in 1996. This year ten books have been named as finalists, including Alaya Dawn Johnson’s story of a tech-obsessed future Brazil, The Summer Prince. The winners will be announced at the National Book Awards Ceremony on November 20th.
Congratulations to all the honorees!
- Kathi Appelt, The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp
- Kate DiCamillo, Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
- Lisa Graff, A Tangle of Knots
- Alaya Dawn Johnson, The Summer Prince
- Cynthia Kadohata, The Thing About Luck
- David Levithan, Two Boys Kissing
- Tom McNeal, Far Far Away
- Meg Rosoff, Picture Me Gone
- Anne Ursu, The Real Boy
This year’s National Book Award judges were Deb Caletti, Cecil Castellucci, Peter Glassman, E. Lockhart, and Lisa Von Drasek. Finalists for Poetry, Non-Fiction, and Fiction will be announced later this week.